Nicholas Copernicus introduced to astronomy a new model of the heavens known as the heliocentric model (where he held the Sun in a fixed position rather than Earth). Copernicus's heliocentric system was not born in isolation father it was the integration of many views, models and theorems that had preceded and greatly influenced its author. He was motivated by the flaws he discovered in the Ptolemaic Greek astronomical models to develop a new system free of such inadmissible mistakes. He devoloped a mathernatically harmonious systerm in a sense that he eliminated the arbitrary mathematical representations of the Ptolomaic Greek system. II was this mathematical harmony that made Copernicus's work credible in the eyes of his colleagues in the 16hn century (not that he held the Sun fixed). They demonstrate Copernicus's indebtedness to earlier Istamic astronomers who preceded him in developing the mathematical theorems that he used. This is illustrated by the centrality and the degree of assimilation of these theorems and models in his work. Three important Muslim astronomers are important in relation to Copemicus: Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Mu'ayyad al-Din al-Urdi and lbn al-Shatir. Research the connections between one of these Muslim astronomers and Copernicus, and discuss the importance of the work of al-Tusi, al-Urdi andlor lbn al-Shatir as a stepping stone in the development of mathematical astronomy..

1. Nicholas Copernicus introduced to astronomy a new model of the heavens known as the
heliocentric model (where he held the Sun in a fixed position rather than Earth). Copernicus's
heliocentric system was not born in isolation father it was the integration of many views, models
and theorems that had preceded and greatly influenced its author. He was motivated by the flaws
he discovered in the Ptolemaic Greek astronomical models to develop a new system free of such
inadmissible mistakes. He devoloped a mathernatically harmonious systerm in a sense that he
eliminated the arbitrary mathematical representations of the Ptolomaic Greek system. II was this
mathematical harmony that made Copernicus's work credible in the eyes of his colleagues in the
16hn century (not that he held the Sun fixed). They demonstrate Copernicus's indebtedness to
earlier Istamic astronomers who preceded him in developing the mathematical theorems that he
used. This is illustrated by the centrality and the degree of assimilation of these theorems and
models in his work. Three important Muslim astronomers are important in relation to
Copemicus: Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Mu'ayyad al-Din al-Urdi and lbn al-Shatir. Research the
connections between one of these Muslim astronomers and Copernicus, and discuss the
importance of the work of al-Tusi, al-Urdi andlor lbn al-Shatir as a stepping stone in the
development of mathematical astronomy.